Strange Commute

Musician David Byrne has his own blog that is always good for an enlightening read. Recently he wrote about a documentary he saw called Jesus Camp, you can read his thoughts here.

I haven't seen this film but it is likely I will as I love documentaries and I love sideshow freaks and bearded-lacy type carnys so Jesus Camp should be right up my alley!

I got off work at midnight last night and took the train back to Jersey City where I pick up a cab from the PATH Station to my house as it is too late and not safe to walk.

Taking a cab in Jersey City is an experience, I won't say it's a good or bad experience, just an experience. Most of the drivers are Arabic and it's like rocking the casbah as soon as you step up to the taxi rank.

4 guys will run up to you and try to get you to get in their car. Once you agree a price you will likely find yourself sharing the cab with 2 or 3 other people, all with their own prices and destinations. I used to find it stressful but I am used to it now and I know some of the drivers so I tend to ride with the same guys if I can.

Last night I was riding in the cab with a driver I'd riden with a couple of times before. Usually he's okay but last night he insisted on driving and eating pizza at the same time. He was waving all over the road and screaming at people in arabic. 5 minutes into the ride he stops in the middle of the street, opens the drivers door and proceeds to take a pee against the wall 6 feet away from the taxi, in full view of myself and a girl who was sitting in the back seat.

2 minutes later we are again hurtling one-handed down Bergen Avenue when two obese ladies with broomsticks waddle into the middle of the road and shake their brooms at our taxi. I can only assume he peed on their cat or something.

It was a strange ride!

By the way, did you know: A nutrition study conducted by Barry Popkin, of the Department of Nutrition and Economics at the University of North Carolina, has determined that the number of overweight or obese people in the world outnumber the starving, with approximately 800 million starving/near starving and 1.3 billion overweight people.

Horrifying isn't it?